Concerted Action for Offshore Wind Deployment
Newsletter Issue 1

   

Introduction to COD

Database environmental impact assessments and monitoring

Overview OWE’s environmental impact

What’s next on the Agenda?

 

 

1.       Introduction to COD

Welcome to the COD project. Concerted Action for Offshore Wind Energy Deployment (COD) is a co-operation of energy agencies, energy departments and key actors. The aim of the project is very simple:  to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind energy within the European Community by streamlining legislation, consenting procedures; environmental impact assessment and grid integration.  One of the primary tasks within the project is information exchange between the national energy agencies of most sea – bordering member states in the EC. COD exchanges information between the national energy agencies or delegated third parties from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. This represents 90% of the offshore wind energy potential within the EU.

COD also interacts with key actors through an Advisory Board and all COD activities are steered by a Ministerial Working Group with representatives from energy departments of the related countries.  Energy Agencies from other member states can join COD as observers.

The project began in 2003 and is now ready to publicise its findings and results. It was decided to launch a series of newsletters with a view to informing and updating those involved with offshore wind energy on activities within COD. The first issue of the newsletter is concerned with environmental issues where offshore wind farms are concerned. In the coming months future editions of the newsletter will cover Grid integration; legislation/consents; and the overall results of COD. For more information: visit our website or contact Ruud de Bruijne

 

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2.       Database environmental impact assessments and monitoring
COD provides a database that contains about 170 entries. The database covers a range of available publications concerned with methodologies, baseline studies, environmental impact assessment studies and monitoring reports. At present data from Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom has been included. 

Information on ongoing research projects is also made available through COD. The database gives an indication about the current know-how concerning the interrelation between offshore wind farms, the marine environment and human interests. All the information that has been gathered is currently being analysed.  For example, one of the outcomes of the monitoring studies show that where projects from Denmark are concerned no severe impacts from the construction of wind farms were evident. This cannot be said yet for every country involved in offshore but to date the Danish reports are the only studies with data on real impacts. In most cases the severity of impacts is related to the sensitivity of the chosen site.

At this early stage, most of the information that is available focuses on methodologies and baseline studies. However, more results from the real impacts from wind farms is becoming available.

You can download the database on Environmental issues for offshore wind farms by logging onto the COD website and clicking on ‘Database environmental impact assessments and monitoring’. Information is available on the how to use the database on the COD website should you have any difficulty accessing the website. For each report or ongoing project you will find three forms on the database:

I: general information (e.g. The institutions involved, the title of the report, the year in which it was published and abstract).

II: specification of the content (e.g. subject of study, investigation methods used, impacts observed).
III: information on planning instruments and miscellaneous information.

 
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3.       Overview (Offshorewind Energy) OWE’s environmental impact

 

COD has made a report with an overview of the available information in the database. This report presents statistics and an analysis of the environmental impact studies in the COD database. It provides a first overview of the impacts offshore wind farms have on the environment. At this early stage of development, most of the available information in the database is on methodologies and baseline studies. Naturally, it is therefore too early to draw conclusions. There is for example ongoing research on windfarms in the United Kingdom, Denmark and The Netherlands and COD aims to follow up on this research. Download the Overview of Environmental Impacts Offshore Wind energy

 

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4.       Updating Information


COD’s aim is to cover all available reports on environmental issues. If there are any relevant reports or projects that we may have omitted, please let us know and we include them as soon as possible. Please contact the COD working group member of your country by logging onto the contact list on the COD website

 

New Guidelines for Offshore Wind

COD is now drafting offshore wind guidelines, which are effectively the conclusions of the first COD project.  They will incorporate information and lessons learned from the COD activities.  The guidelines will take the form of a statement of consensus on present understanding, actions to promote the further uptake of offshore wind, and guidance for ascertaining and developing good practice at the European level.  Any parties wishing to comment on draft guidelines are welcome to contact: Helen Snodin at Garrad Hassan.

 

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5.       What’s next on the Agenda

Presentation COD’s intermediate results on grid integration:  At the Fifth International Workshop on Large-Scale Integration of Wind Power and Transmission Networks for Offshore Wind Farms, 7-8 April 2005 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Presentation COD intermediate results: 19-20 April Offshore wind 2005, BWEA London

Presentation COD final results: 26-28 October Copenhagen Offshore Wind Energy conference October

 

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COD Newsletter is an email bulletin prepared by:

SWS Group
Shinagh House
Bandon
Co. Cork
Tel: +3532341271
Website: http://www.capitacustomersolutions.ie/

COD is funded by the EC under FP6, SWS Group is partner in this project.

 

To subscribe to this free newsletter please email Ann McCarthy with ‘subscribe ’ in the subject field.

If however, you do not want to receive the newsletter please send an e-mail with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject field to the same address

 

Disclaimer

Neither the Consortium of the Concerted Action for Offshore Wind Energy Deployment (COD), nor any person acting on its behalf:
makes any warranty or representation, express or implied with respect to the information contained in this database,
assumes any liability with respect to the use of, or damages resulting from this information.

Ann McCarthy  2005